It looks like the M12 driver will be available separately, as a replacement or upgrade for users who started off with the manual version. The model number associated with the image above is 14-50-2576.

The tools will carry 5-year warranties, the cable 2 years, and the battery 2 years. The kits will come with the tool, an M12 Li-ion battery, and a charger.

The price looks OK – but these tools tend to need to be cleaned out after use. We’d hose ours off and sometimes soak them in a pickle barrel with some bleach and water. I wonder of this Milwaukee will be amenable to the same treatment

We always carried ones made by General Wire Spring – different models for commode and urinals :

Thanks – I added that and a Ridgid as “compare to” options. The designs are so similar it’s hard to tell if they’re made by the same or different companies.

Good point about disinfection.

I was really hoping to see some sort of bucket docking accessory. They made it a point of bundling the drain snake with a red Milwaukee bucket, but with this users are supposed to figure something out on their own?

BTW – I think the quality of the manual ones decreased over the years. The old models use bronze castings for handles, heavy brass tubing and a good large diameter non-kink inner/outer galvanized spring snake. Most of the new models use plastic or white-metal cast handles, a thinner brass or even a plated steel tube. Our 50 year old ones will probably be still working after I’m long gone – not sure how long the newer ones will last

Fred, right you are. Our plumbers have Ridgid brand manual toilet augers and they are hard to beat. And the battery is always charged LOL. I have no doubt the older versions were made from superior materials. We have some still around that are at least twenty-five years old ND they just don’t quit.

I think the battery versions by Milwaukee will likely be popular. If for no other reason than the black and red plastic will look ‘cleaner’ to a customer than the old orange and white Ridgid manual units with a brass spring protruding from it. It won’t be so but will look so. And in the end it may be quicker too but I have watched our guys clear a toilet in a link with those old manual units.

Have one of the older closet augers you mentioned Fred. Still works like new. The snake shows a little surface rust but that’s it. That thing will outlast me. They just don’t make some things as good as they used to.

yeah I don’t know if this is something that has to be used often – I mean right tool for the job and all that but I don’t know that powered is necessary. Now at 50 some odd ft of cable – if just for speed of retrieval powered is nice.

In a pinch? Maybe for a sink that has a clog in the P-trap or slightly lower. However, you would be still better off with a manual or powered snake (handheld or one with a base). Clogs don’t always have to be in the trap and maybe quite further down the line/stack.

For time being, Ferguson has the closet auger kit (Milwaukee 2576‑21), for $149.99, with a Milwaukee mail-in, for a free Urinal auger. That makes the package with a battery/crank handle $50 cheaper than everywhere else. I picked one up today, Tested it at home. After almost 20 years in the field, I definitely appreciate it! The two things that won me over? 1 You don’t have to balance the auger, while cranking it (just touch the button, and focus on the angle), and 2 When you wanna pull the extension back in, it locks the cable down – no more fidgeting, spending too much time getting it lined up, squeezing the button, and finally getting the cable back in. Got MY vote!